Belt buckle



Y 1,616,195 Febf 1 1 1927 w. J. MORSE BELT BUCKLE Filed Sept. 18, 1925 v INVENTR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. l9 1927.

rares mi if;

BELT BUCKLE.

Application filed September This invention relates to an improved construction of belt buckle ot the tongue variety employed more particularly for retaining a belt in adjusted position about the waist ot the wearer. One object of this invention being to provide such a buckle having a body frame portion to which the tongue member is hinged and to provide a belt-guiding loop on the frame, of such a width as to receive a belt wide enough to cover the trame so that .the frame portion will not be exposed when the belt is positioned in the buckle.

A further objiect ot the invention is to mount a guide loop on the frame having a broad tace for the purpose ot receiving orn amentation.

A still further object ot the invention. is to pivot the guide loop on the buckle frame and to mount a tongue releasing finger to be operated by the pivotal movement of the guide to move the tongue Jfrom engagement with .the belt.

With these and other objects in view, the

y invention consists oi' certain novel Jfeatures of construction, as `willbe more fully described1 and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of a belt on which my improved buckle is mounted.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1, illustrating the general positions ot the different parts of the buckle relative to the belt. Y

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 1 showing the belt guiding loop as secured to the body frame of the buckle.

Figure l is a perspective view of the underside of my improved buckle.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the underside of the base portion of the loop member.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the under side of the top portion of the loop member, removed from its base portion. y

Figure 'Z' shows the buckle partly in section with the belt dotted in released position therethrough, showing the loop member as being tipped back and the tongue operating lfinger as having lifted ythe tongue from engagement with the hole in the belt.

It is found of advantage in the construction ot belt buckles of the tongue variety, particularly where used on the wider .types 18, 1925. Selial N0. 57,106. j

ot belts, of advantage to so form the body or frame portion of the buckle that it will be covered by the belt when in operative position thereon; also to provide a belt guiding loop on the buckle trame of a width as great or greater than that ot the frame portion so as to receive a belt of a width which will `cover the frame; also to provide a beltguiding loop having a broad exposed surface which is adapted to receive ornamentation. llnsome instances, it is also found ot advantage to form the belt-guiding loop of a separate piece ot metal and to provide bendable portions on the loop `to be pivotally connected to the frame of the buckle and also to provide a linger on the buckle to be operated by the pivotal movement of the guide so that this movement will release the tongue :from engagement with the holes in the belt, by which construction this type of buckle which has heretofore been considered unsightly is now considered ornamental which etl'ect is obtained by covering a portion of the buckle by the belt and exposing only the ornamental guide loop thereof; and the following is a detailed description of the present embodiment of my invention and showing one construction by which these advantageous results may be accomplished With reference to the drawings, 10 designates the body frame of my improved buckle, which may be struck trom sheet stock into the form best illustrated in Figure lj having a cross bar 11 at one end notched as at 12, around which the end portion -13 ot' the tongue 14: is looped and also to which one end of the belt 15 is iined.

A belt guide loop member 16 is herein shown as being formed ol sheet stock having downwardly turned side wall portions 17, which portions are provided with bendable lingers 18. ln order to pivotally mount this loop member upon the cross bar 19 of the buckle frame, I have formed a base member 20, as best illustrated in Figure 5, the same having tapered side walls 21 which tit in between the side walls 17 ot the loop member and is secured to the loop member by the folding of the lingers 18 inwardly about these tapered side walls 21.

ln order to pivotally mount this base member and the loop member upon the cross bar 19 oi the body ol' the buckle, l have rolled one edge of the stock of this base member as at 22 about the cross bar 117 thereby permitting the guide loop to swing on thi'scross-b'rasa pivot. v

Itis fo'iind in practice that if the broad faced guide loop member is rigidly mounted upon the cross bar `19'ithat, in so1neinstances it is slightly diiiicult to release the tongue l-lfrom the engaged hole in the beit Qalunless the belt is drawn end wise through theloop in a direction to tighten thc saine about the body; Therefore toprovidevsimple and effective means' for releasing this touffue `from engagement with its hole in thebelt withoutthe necessity of an endways tightening movement ofthe belt, I have lined a tripper finger 25 on the base member 20 to` entend forwardly into engagement wit the undersideV of the tongue: M whereby 4sinap'lereleasingmovement of the belt-end 'Zoids illustrated Yin dotted lines in Figure serves to swing the guide loop on its pivot b v'j 19 and at the saine'time brings the releasing finger 2'5 `noto engaoen'rent Vwith the tongue 14 to withdraw theftongue from the vhole Eiland permitsI the belt to be freely withdrawn troni the buckle. I

lIt'will beseen my improved construction thatmI have notched as at 27 tlerolled portion 22 of the base member so as to provide a stop o ifliniit for the backwai'd swing of the loop 16 thereby causing the tonguelifting finger topi-event the tongue- 14 from droppinlo" down between the arms l() of, frame, which would -be the case ifthe loop member were permitted to swing without a pioperZ limiting stop, thus' insuring theparts retuiningto th'eir'proper positions afterv the heitreleasing' movement.

vIt clearly herein shownthat the tongue 154 ofthe bucklel is of' a length after passing through the hole yEl?, in th e b'elt to' lie against the upper 4tace of the guide loopplate to form a rest or stop for the tongue' when the loop plateV is in its normal or working position.

It will be noted that the width between the inner surface ofthe side walls' i7 of this belt-guiding loop is' as grealtor grettte'r" than thewidthof the body frarneat its widest point so as to receive a belt which is sunlici'en'tly' wide to cover the buckle frane be'- ne'ath it, which, of course7 is narrower than the belt; inpoved buckle is very simple, practical and inexpensive to construct yetl when positioned on a belt the heretofore unsightly portion' ofthe buckle Ais entirely covered by thefbelt, exposing only a band or loopd portion4 which serves as an ornament for the belt.'

The foregoing description isV directed solely towards the-construction illustrated, but I desireit to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting' to all the inechttr'iicalchanges 'to which the device is susceptible, the invention hein-g 'defined ind limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A belt buckle having a body frame, a separate plate having rearwardly extending portions forming a guide7 said plate being attached to one end of the frame and said plate presenting a broad front surface spaced above' and lying in a plane substantially parallel to the p lanc of said frame when Ain working position` and a. tongue hinged to said; frame at the. opposite end thereof and entending to rest on' said broad surface.

2. A belt buckle having a body frame, a sheet metal plateI folded to form a guide and pivotally mounted on the' frame intermediate the end of said plate. said plate' be'- i'ng spaced above the frain'e to' receive the belt and havinga broad front surface to' receive ornamentation, a tongue to engage' an opening in the belt, pivoted to said frame and extending toward and of a length to rest on said broad surface. i

A belt buckle having a body frame. a tongue member hinged to' one end of the frame, a plate folded to forni a belt guide with a broad surface carried by the opposite end of said frame and located above Athe same and haring a belt-'receiving opening of a width approximately that of said frame and forming arest for thc frlec end of its tongue in combination with a blelt of size to lit said opening and extending therethrough whereb'y this belt covers the top of the frame to hide the same.

4.' In combination with a belt, a tongue buckle attached to one end thereof and coinprising a frame' of a width less than the free end portion of the belt, a'l tongue on said frame", and a loop member for receiving and guiding the free end of the belt over said fralm'e, whereby the frame is hidden from view bythe belt.

o. In lcombination with a belt, a buckle attached to one end thereof said buckle comprising'a frame, a separate guide" loop raised from and mounted on the front surface of the frame and of a width as great as that of the frame and through which they free end of the belt may entend over the front of said frame, a tongue on the frame' to extend through a hole inthe free end portion of the belt,r said belt being of a width greater than said frame to hide the saine from View.

6. In combination with a belt, a tongue buckle attached to oneend thereof and comprising a frame' of a width less' than the free end portion of the belt,L a` tongue on said frame7 and a sheet metal loop member for receiving and guiding the free end of the belt over said frame, whereby the frame' is hidden from view by the belt, said loop having a portion folded about said frame to connect the two together.

iin

ian

7. A belt buckle comprising a substantially l rectangular frame of sheet metal, a tongue `for extending through the free end portion of said belt and hingedly mounted at one end of said trame, a sheet metal guide loop for the ree end ot the belt and having portions folded about the opposite end of said `trame to secure the same thereto, said loop having` a. broad front surface tor the reception of ornamentation and to be engaged by the free end of said tongue, Said surface being mounted in a plane spaced above but substantially parallel with the plane of said frame.

8. In combination with a belt having a narrowed end portion, a buckle having` a substantially rectangular body 'frame of a width less than the normal width of the belt and to one end of which said narrowed end portion is permanently attached, a tongue hinged to said iframe and protruding through said narrowed end portion, a belt loop of a width to receive the free end of the belt carried by the opposite end of said :trame and forming a rest for the 'tree end ot said tongue whereby the normally wide portion of the belt extends through the loop and over the frame to cover the frame leaying only the loop exposed to view.

9. A belt bucklehaving a frame portion` a bclt-engaging tongue pivotally mounted on the framet a belt guide pivot-ally mounted on the frame, and a means responsive to the pivotal movement of said guide for engaging the tongue and moving it from en gagement with the belt.

l0. A belt buckle having a 'frame portion, a belt-engaging tongue pivotally mounted on the frame, a belt guide pivotally mounted on the trame., and a member carried by the guide positioned to swing into engage ment with the tongue and disengage it from the belt upon a pivotal movement of the guide.

11. A belt buckle having a frame portion, a belt-engaging tongue pivotally mounted on the frame, a belt guide pivotally mounted on the -trame, a member carried by the guide to be operated by the pivotal movement thereof to move the tongue from engagement with the belt, and a stop for limiting the tongue-releasing movement ot said guide and member.

12. A belt buckle having a trame portion, a belt-engaging tongue pivotally mounted on the trame, a belt guide pivotally mounted ou the trame and ot a width to receive a belt t@ cover said frame` and a member con nected to said guide of a length to engage the tongue to move it to disengage the belt upon a pivotal movement of said guide.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM J. MORSE. 

